String Quartet in C Major - Franz Xaver Richter (ed. Marek Štryncl)
Richter belongs to the large number of Czech composers and musicians who spent most of their careers abroad.
His output within the field of chamber music is particularly significant: apart from a number of sonatas, trios, and divertimentos, what really stands out are his seven string quartets. What is certain, however, is that Richter’s unique contribution here lies in his ability to apply the polyphonic style in music of lighter nature and in secular pieces. The style thus finds its way into unprecedented forms and contexts, doing so with an intensity unrivalled by any of his contemporaries, or even by J. Haydn.
The source for the publication of the String Quartet C Major by František Xaver Richter was the oldest preserved source whose date of origin is certain and certifiable. It is the print issued in London, which contains six of Richter’s quartets (namely, in C major, B flat major, A major, E flat major, G major, D major), and was published by Longman & C0 in 1768. Richter’s autographs remain unaccounted for.
Other compositions by F. X. Richter published in Czech Radio:
String Quartet in B flat Major